President Donald Trump’s ceasefire agreement in Gaza was tested Oct. 28 as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to conduct strikes in Gaza as his government alleged Hamas violated a White House-backed ceasefire agreement by firing on Israeli forces and failing to return the remains of deceased hostages.
With the start of the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Gaza, Pope Leo XIV prayed for a just and lasting peace that respects all people.
Israel and Hamas “have both signed off” on the first phase of a White House peace proposal for Gaza, President Donald Trump said late Oct. 8 in a social media post.
President Donald Trump on Sept. 23 addressed the U.N. General Assembly amid the backdrop of conflict in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as world leaders still question the extent to which the U.S. will be involved in global affairs as the Trump administration implements its “America First” foreign policy.
As tens of thousands of Palestinians were fleeing their homes as Israel launched a major new ground offensive in Gaza City, Pope Leo XIV expressed his “profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Pope Leo XIV has reached out to the Catholic community in Gaza, making a phone call to the Holy Family Parish — the only Catholic parish in the region. About 500 refugees currently live within the parish complex.
Pope Leo XIV appealed to Israel and Hamas to stop the violence that has caused “so much terror, destruction and death.”
Pope Leo XIV asked Catholics to observe Aug. 22 as a day of prayer and fasting for peace and justice, particularly in Ukraine and in the Holy Land.
The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference called for a special collection to bolster the Catholic Church’s response to a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip as the Israel-Hamas war continues to grind on.
In a spirit of interreligious cooperation, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) has donated $25,000 to the Archdiocese of New York, which will work with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) to help Holy Family Church in Gaza rebuild following an Israeli airstrike.
